Mad dogs and an Englishman

"Whoaaaaa" was my involentary response at the weekend as two dogs charged out of nowhere seemingly intent on samplying some of Elland's finest skinny white leg! I was riding on the little road between Booth Wood reservoir at Rishworth and Ringstone Edge reservoir near Barkisland when two big dogs, one big, the other BIGGER! chased after me, no human owner in sight. I couldn't outrun them as they were nearly on me before I heard them and I was knackered from winching up the valley side.

I didn't know what to do really, so i did nothing. Kept my pedals level so there wasn't one ankle easier to eat than the other, and slowly rode on being careful not to make eye contact with them. After about 200 yards they got bored and ran off back across the moor to their day jobs of guarding the gates of hell.

Relieved to get away not biten but increasingly angry to have been put in that situation. If I'd been out riding with my wife and kid it could have been really bad.

Has anyone else experienced problems with mad dogs in that area? What do you think is the best thing to do when chased by dogs is? I think I more or less did the right thing because I didn't get biten. Maybe I should have called the cops and reported it.

We've been here before and after 1000+ posts I think it was deemed that the onus is NOT on cyclists to have a degree in animal psychology. The onus is on the dog owner to keep their beats under control or risk a **** broken jaw. Given kids could be caught up "in the mix" it's a no brainer imo.

Cheers for your replies guys, I feel better about things just sharing my tale of snarling woe with some fellow bikers. I know this topic has come up before and there aren't any foolproof ways of stopping it. I like the contingency steak idea, I didn't have one handy but I could have thrown some jelly babies for them to eat instead of me.

I would have kicked it if it had bitten me because I think at that point there's little option, but I was worried if I kicked it (espesh the bigger one) it would just have wound it up and I would have come off worse!

I think Snowslave might have a point, dogs and doggers all deserve a good kick in the nuts.